The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-02
A THRIVING INDIANA CITY,.
What Natural Gas Has Done and Will
Do for Marion.
Dwellings to Be Built-A Big Brick
Concentration Window-Glass.

Yesterday afternoon Journal reporter met
Mr.. B. F. Burk secretary and treasurer of the
Marion Windowglass Company, of Marion who
was in the city brief trip. Mr.. Burk is an
energetic business man, and enthusiastic over
the prospects of the city in which he is connected
with number of thriving enterprises.
Marion" said Mr.. Burk. lis indeed in highly
Furnishing and prosperous condition, with the
most fattering prospects for the future, as our
entire community are wide awake and fully
aware of the great advantages that are in our
grasp We have secured nine good and substan-
tial factories already, and have in prospect sew
eral others which certain to get.
Among those which have Stewart. Estep
& Co.. of Pittsburg; the Marion Window-glass
Company. and the Sidney (O.l Stove Company.
Last night closed contract for very extern
sive brick works to locate with us-the Dry
Press brick-works. They will be under the
management of Mr. F. t Melcher, of Chicago,
a brother of the manager of the Peerless brick
works of Philadelphia. and thorough business
man. These brick-works promise to be the
largest enterprise that Marion has yet secured.
The farm upon which the works will locate has
a developed gas well fully equal to the famous
Jumbo well of Paramount This well, as | say,
is right on the farm where the extraordinary
clay that is to be used is found. This clay has
been tested by all the machinery that could be
applied to it. and in every way proved satistac-
tory. The expectation is to produce face brick
Peerless brick of Philadelphia.
I'VE expect to go right on with these various
factories and put them in operation just as rap
idly as the weather will permit. We will also
have j. 2. Sites & CO., a bottle concern and
skewer factory. which will be quite desirable
addition to our manufacturing interests"
What growth do you anticipate for Marion
during the coming Year, inquired the reporter.
I'VE feel sure, was the reply. that there
will be demand for more than eight million of
these brick next summer, and we contemplate
the erection of not less than five hundred dwell
ings in Marion in 1883. You see doing
business now, and going ahead to do
great deal more. Business blocks viii be erected
in proportion to the dwelling houses. Every
body in Marion is of mind, and all are work
ing together theoretically, everything indicat-
ing that Marion will rapidly become city. We
have increased our population one-third this
summer and you must take into consideration
that Marion is the youngest of all the gas cities
In regard to window glass, Marion has every
facility for making as good glass can be made
anywhere. This glass has stood the test with
the best Pittsburg glass, and every test shows
that we can produce glass equal to that made by
any of the older factories in the East. The
Marion window glass factory will at present pro-
duce only two car loads, about 81 O00 of glass
per week Our product sells rapidly. In fact,
we could not fill the orders we could have if we
had double our capacity We have orders now
booked up to January.
The success of the glass works will be great
for Marion. 1t is the first win
dow glass made in Indiana, and its market will
be all over the Northwest Marion being 400
miles nearer than Pittsburg to the section of
country whence the great demand will come.